what has gone right. how we built the right things. but it's a constant evaluation of strategic interests. and we very much appreciate what your country is doing and continues to do, especially in the nato relationship. frank carlucci is a very dear friend. i know -- i have often said, and frank thinks that i exaggerate -- former senators never exaggerate, you know. that if it hadn't been for frank carlucci, i'm not sure portugal would have turned out in that immediate time the way it did in 1980 and 1979. frank carlucci is an amazing individual and one of the great public servants of our time. thank you. >> please join me in thanking secretary hagel. >> thank you. thank you very much. [applause] >> the next part of our program

begins now. up saturday, live coverage of the white house correspondents in her. we went to remarks from president obama and sean mikell as if they speak to celebrities, houselists, and the white press corps. coverage starts at 6:00 p.m. with the red carpet arrivals followed by the dinner itself. see is saturday here on c-span. the hill reports that tonight more than one dozen even associate with the white house correspondents dinner is being held near washington, d.c. our camera outside of one of the event also the canadian embassy watching some of the arrivals. short time ago. west virginia senator joe manchin and company arriving for the event. they heal is hosting the invitation only reception at the canadian embassy along with

"entertainment tonight." again, the white house correspondents dinner on c-span tomorrow night. president obama speaking as well as a jolt mikell of "community." starting with the red carpet arrivals followed by the dinner on c-span.aking here coming up tonight on c-span, president obama and german chancellor angela merkel. they held a press conference. then the united nations security council held a meeting on russian intervention in the ukraine. afterwards, more from the german chancellor as she discussed the future of u.s. relations with her country. obamar today, president and german chancellor held a joint press conference. this discussed additional -- and they discuss a set -- they

discuss additional sanctions. >> good morning, everybody. it is always a great pleasure to welcome my friend chancellor merkel to the white house. germany is one of our strongest allies and angela is one of my closest partners. with her indulgence, i want to start by making two brief comments. first, as president, my top priority is doing everything we can to create more jobs and opportunity for hard-working families for our economic strength as a source of strength in the world. this morning, we learned our businesses created 277,000 new jobs last month. all told, our business is now created 9.2 million new jobs over 50 consecutive months of job growth. the grit and determination of the american people are moving us forward but we have to keep a

relentless focus on job creation and creating more opportunities for working families. there is plenty more that congress should be doing from raising the minimum wage to creating good construction jobs and rebuilding america. i want to work with them wherever i can but i keep acting on my own wherever i must to make sure every american who works hard has the chance to get ahead. the second point -- i also want to say on behalf of the american people that our thoughts are with the people of afghanistan who have experienced an awful tragedy. we are seeing reports of a devastating landslide on top of recent floods. many people are reported missing. rescue efforts are underway. just as the united states stood with the people of afghanistan through difficult decade, we stand ready to help our afghan partners as they respond to this disaster.

even as our war there comes to an end this year, our commitment to afghanistan and its people will endure. i'm grateful for the hospitality you and the german people extended to us last year in berlin, it was an honor to speak at the brandenburg gate. you promised me a warm welcome and delivered an unbelievable 90 degree day in berlin. this morning, our work touched on a range of issues where the united states and germany are vital partners. we agreed to continue close security cooperation including law enforcement, cyber and intelligence that keeps our citizens safe. we reaffirmed to our strong commitment to completing the transatlantic trade investment

ttip which is critical to supporting jobs and boosting exports in both the united states and europe. we discussed energy security including the importance of europe diversifying its energy sources. the united states has already approved licenses for natural gas exports which will increase global supply and benefit partners like europe and ttip would make it easier to get x or just to europe. in our working lunch, we will review our negotiations with iran and our determination to prevent them from requiring a nuclear weapon. we will discuss where we support the moderate opposition and provide humanitarian relief to the syrian people. i look forward to briefing angela on my trip to asia, region where both our nations can ensure that all countries in the asia-pacific adhere to international law and international norms. most of our time was spent on the situation in ukraine. angela, i want to thank you for being such a strong partner on this issue. you have spoken out forcefully and against russia's illegal actions in ukraine and you have been a leader in the european union as well as an indispensable partner in the g7. your presence here today is a

reminder that our nations stand united. we are united in our determination on coordinated sanctions. we are united on our unwavering article five commitment to the security of our nato allies including german aircraft joining nato patrols over the baltics. we are united in our support for ukraine including the very important imf program approved this week to help them stabilize and reform its economy. as ukrainian forces move to restore order in eastern ukraine, it is obvious to the world that these russian groups are not peaceful protesters. they are heavily armed militants who are receiving significant support from russia. the ukrainian government has the right and responsibility to uphold law and order within its territory and russia needs to use its influence over these paramilitary groups of they disarm and stop. evoking provoking violence.

let me say that we are also united in our outrage over the appalling treatment of the osce observers who have been detained in eastern ukraine. pro-russian militants are still holding seven observers including four germans as well as their ukrainian escorts. they have been paraded in front of the media and forced to make statements at the barrel of a gun. it is disgraceful and it's inexcusable. russia needs to work to secure their immediate release and the international community will not be satisfied until colonel schneider and his fellow captains come home. finally, as both angela and i have repeatedly said, we want to see a diplomatic resolution to the situation in ukraine. we have also been clear that if the russian leadership does not change course, it will face increasing costs as well as growing isolation diplomatic and even -- an economic. already, the ruble has fallen to all-time lows and russian stocks this year have dropped sharply and russia has slipped into recession.

investors are fleeing and it's estimated $100 billion in investment will exit russia this year. russian companies are finding it harder to access the capital they need and russia's credit rating has been downgraded to just above junk status. in short, russia is making a russian economy even weaker. if russia continues on its current course, we have a range of tools at our disposal including sanctions that would target certain sectors of the russian economy. we have been consulting closely with our european and g-7 partners we are stepping up our planning. angela and i continued these consultations today. the russian leadership must know that if it continues to destabilize eastern ukraine and disrupt this month's presidential election, we will move quickly on additional steps including further sanctions that will them pose greater cost. that is a choice facing the russian leadership. our preference is a diplomatic resolution to this issue and the ukrainian government is -- has

already shown itself more than willing to work through some of the issues that would ensure that the rights of all ukrainians are respected and you have a representative government. they have shown themselves willing to discuss amendments to the constitution on a local level. they have gone through with their commitment for the right amnesty for those who lay down arms and are willing to abandon the building they have occupied. the ukrainian government in kiev has follow through on the commitments it made in geneva. we need the russians to do the same. angela, i want to thank you again for being here. as always for your friendship and partnership. these are challenging times. russia's actions in your game -- in ukraine pose a challenge to the situation that brought europe and the u.s. together. whole, freet is

and at peace. just as our predecessors stood united for that vision, so will we. chancellor merkel -- german]g >> thank you very much, barack for this gracious hospitality and this warm welcome you accorded to me and i'm very glad to be able to be back in washington and to have an opportunity to address all of these different issues with you. the priority really is on the current issue of ukraine and it looms large in our agenda and it shows how important the transatlantic partnership is in today's times. i think it's a very good thing that all of the steps we have taken so far, we have taken together and today in our talk, we yet again underlined that we fully intend to go ahead as we did in the past. what happened on ukraine? what happened on the crimean peninsula? the postwar order has been put

into question and that rests on the acceptance of territorial integrity by all. and this is why it was so important for us to react in concorde. what is at stake is that people in ukraine can act on the basis of self-determination and can determine themselves which road they wish to embark on into the future. the 25th of may is a very crucial date. we want to ensure that and want to make sure that elections can take place. we talked about this. together, we shall do everything we can in order to bring russia to do the necessary steps through the osce, and hopefully may 25 will bring about progress. the 25th of may is not all that far away.

should that not be possible to stabilize the situation further, further sanctions will be unavoidable. this is something we don't want and we have made a diplomatic offer, an offer for a diplomatic solution so it is up to the russians which road we will embark on. we are firmly resolved to continue to travel down that road. secondly, we addressed issues that have a bearing on the work of the intelligence services. let me underline yet again on from the german side that we have always enjoyed the" cooperation with our american partner on this front and anyone in political responsibility is more than aware looking at the challenges of the modern world today that in fighting terrorism, the work of the intelligence services is not only important, it is indeed indispensable. i am firmly convinced our cooperation in this area is very helpful. yet there are differences of opinion on what sort of balance to strike between the intensity of surveillance of trying to

protect the citizens against rats and on the other hand, protecting individual privacy and individual freedom. that will require further discussion between our two countries in order to overcome these differences of opinion. we have these discussions on the european front with safe harbor agreement and privacy protection agreement and i take back the message home that the u.s. is ready to do that and is ready to discuss this although we have differences of opinion. thirdly, ttip, in the overall context of further intensifying our trade relations of global growth but also in the context of diversification of our energy supply. this is a very important issue. it will be very important for us to bring the negotiations very

quickly to a close on ttip. we are convinced that for the european union and germany and united states this offers a lot of opportunities for the future. it's so important for us to bring this agreement to a successful conclusion. there are a number of discussions and a number of skeptical remarks. people have doubts but the doubts and skepticism can be overcome. look at the many partners all over the world that have financial trade agreements. it is simply necessary looking at the intensity of the transatlantic partnership for us to have this agreement and we are fully at one on this one. we have had very intensive talks and we are going to build on this over lunch. thank you very much and thank you for your gracious hospitality.

>> i think we will take to -- two questions from the u.s. press and two questions from the german press. we will start with leslie clark. >> thank you, mr. president. you have said today that germany and the united states are united in efforts to de-escalate in the ukraine but have you been able to reach a common ground with the chancellor on sanctions particularly the russian energy sector? what is next if you are unable to? to chancellor merkel, reports in the u.s. press suggest that you believe president putin may not be in touch with reality. is that which you believe, chancellor merkel? can you give us more insight into what he might be thinking? do you believe he is a threat to europe? >> obviously, every day we are watching the events in eastern ukraine and southern ukraine with concern. i think what you have seen over

the course of the last several months in the midst of this crisis is remarkable unity between the united states and the european union and the -- in the response. at the same time we have offered a diplomatic approach that could resolve this issue. we have been unified in supporting the ukrainian government in kiev both economically and diplomatically and politically and we have said we would apply costs and consequences to the russians if they continued with their actions. that's exactly what we have done. you saw over the course of the last week additional sanctions applied both by the europeans and the u.s. the next step is going to be a broader-based sectoral sanctions regime.

what we have said is that we want to continue to keep open the possibility of resolving the issue diplomatically but as angela merkel said, if, in fact, we see the disruptions and the destabilization continuing, so severely that it impedes elections on may 25, we will not have a choice but to move forward with additional more severe sanctions. the consultations have been taking place over the course of the last several weeks about what exactly those would look like and would apply to a range of sectors. the goal is not to punish russia. the goal is to give them an incentive to choose the better course and that is to resolve these issues diplomatically. i think we are united on that front. within europe, within the eu, i'm sure there has to be

extensive consultations. you got 28 countries and some are more vulnerable than others to potential russian retaliation and we have to take those into account. not every country will be in exactly the same place. but what has been remarkable is the degree to which all countries agreed that russia has violated international law and violated territorial integrity and sovereignty of a country in europe and i think there is unanimity that there has to be consequences for that. how we structure the sectoral sanctions, the experts have been working on and we anticipate that if we have to use them, we can. our preference would be not to have to use them. i think chancellor merkel's leadership on this front. she has been extraordinarily helpful not only in facilitating the european union but has also

been very important in helping to shape a possible diplomatic resolution and reaching out to the russians to encourage them to take that door while it is still open. [no audio] mind when it comes to sectoral sanctions, we are looking at a range of issues. energy flows from russia to europe. that continued in the midst of the cold war, at the height of the cold war. the idea that you will turn off the tap on all russian oil or natural gas exports i think is unrealistic. but there are a range of approaches that can be taken not only in the energy sector but in the arms sector, the finance sector in terms of lines of

credit for trade -- all have a significant impact on russia. i don't think it's appropriate for us to delve into the details at this stage because their hope is that we don't have to deploy them there it was i can say is them but what i can say is that the discussions are at the highest level. it is not just through the european commission and our diplomatic teams have been working through all the possibilities. we are confident that we will have a package that will further -- uh -- impact russia's growth and economy but again, our hope is that we should not have to use them. we are not interested in punishing the russian people. we think mr. putin and his

leadership circle are taking unnecessary decisions and he needs to be dissuaded from his current course. [speaking german] >> i think it is obvious to all of us that there are different assessments on what happens in ukraine. on the one hand, you have the united states and europe, we have always taken our decisions together and on the other hand, the russians. i hope that russia will live up better in the future to its responsibilities. we need to see deeds matching words. we don't have any news of the release of hostages of the osce, which is a crucial step that needs to happen for us. we have not yet seen any implementation of the geneva agreement by the russians. the osce is an organization to which we wish to accord a greater role so they can prepare and pave the way for elections.

one word on sanctions -- i agree with the american president that they are not an end in itself but combined with the offer that we want the diplomatic solutions, it is a very necessary second component to show that we are serious about our principles and there is a broad range of possibilities that are being prepared for in the european union. in europe, we have taken a decision that should further destabilize an happen, we will move to the third stage of sanctions. i would like to underline this is not necessarily what we want but we are ready and prepared to go to such a step. my main aim would be first and foremost to improve stabilization and see to it that the elections can happen. we will work on this in the next few days but we are also prepared to take further steps.

what we are talking about will be sectoral measures in the context of certain branches of industry. the american president and i can only agree to this. we must do what is necessary in regards to the dependency on gas which is important in europe. we can also look ahead in the medium term and what we can do in order to promote and energy union which we are doing. we're looking at dependencies in the next 10-15 years on russian gas supplies. there are six countries right now in the eu that depend 100% on gas supplies and went to improve the flow and improve our grade of pipelines. all of the countries need to share supplies. those are measures we are currently discussing in europe. we're talking about short but also medium-term and long-term issues. the free trade agreement is gaining prominence in this respect. sorry --

>> madam chancellor, you said that time is of the essence and it's getting shorter leading up to may 25. what is the time when you would say moving to a third phase of sanctions is what you would promote? is more energy intensive initiative by the eu necessary on the government level? can you understand the fact that mr. putin needs to play a role in the solution? his arguments have to be weighed and after the chancellor has made several phone calls with him, did you have a chance with this? >> what about the next few days to come? i think the meeting of foreign

ministers of the eu on the 12th of may will play a very important role and i suspect one can send that what possibilities there are in various directions. from the german side, will do everything we can in order to bring the oscd into a situation supported politically to do what is necessary in order to ring -- bring ideas forward in the u.k. you have monitors for the elections but also questions as regards to a change in the constitution, reform towards further decentralization -- all of the different country -- parts of the country have to be together. we want to give them the necessary political backing. at a certain point in time, when it is there, it is difficult to predict. to me, the elections on may 25 are crucial. should there be further attempts at destabilization, this will be getting more and more difficult. for now, i am working for elections to take place on that very date and the heads of state

and government are ready at any time should that prove necessary to meet. we have approved that over the past in other areas during the euro crisis and we will them in demonstrate this will be resolved yet again. i am firmly convinced that united states of america and the european union act in concert here and they have done so in the past and they are going to continue to do so. >> i sense from the start that russia has legitimate interests in terms of what happens next door in ukraine. obviously, there is a deep and complicated history between russia and ukraine. of course, mr. putin's views should be taken into account. what cannot be taken into account is mr. putin's suggestion through words and actions that he has the right to violate the sovereignty of

another country. to violate its territorial integrity, to dictate the economic ologies or foreign policy of a sovereign country. that is not acceptable. our view from the start has been that the ukrainians should be able to make their own decisions. i am very confident that if ukrainians were allowed to make their own decisions, and they will choose to have a good relationship with russia as well is a good relationship with europe, that they want to trade with russia and trade with europe. but what they cannot accept understandably is the notion that they are simply an appendage, an extension of russia and that the kremlin has veto power over decisions made by a duly elected government in

kiev. if in fact mr. putin's goal is to allow ukrainians to make their own decisions, then he is free to offer up his opinions about what he would like the relationship to be between ukraine and russia and i suspect there will be a lot of ukrainian leaders who will take those views into consideration. it cannot be done at the barrel of a gun. it cannot be done by sending masked gunmen to occupy buildings or intimidate journalists. one of the biggest concerns we have seen is the russian propaganda that has been blasted out nonstop suggesting somehow that the ukrainian government is responsible for the problems in eastern ukraine. the ukrainian government has shown remarkable restraint throughout this process.

the notion that this is some spontaneous uprising in eastern ukraine is belied by all the evidence of well trained and armed militias with the capacity to shoot down helicopters, and generally local protesters don't possess that capacity of surface to air missiles or whatever weapons were used to shoot down helicopters tragically. we have seen the attempt of osc monitors who were approved not just by europe or the united states but also by russia being detained. and somehow russia is suggesting that kiev is responsible for that. we have heard mr. putin say keo

kiev has to do a better job of reaching out to eastern europe -- or eastern ukraine. you have seen attempts by kiev and a very serious way to propose decentralization of power. to provide for local elections. for them to offer amnesty to those who have already taken over these buildings, none of them have been acknowledged by mr. putin or various russian mouthpieces out there. you have also seen suggestions or implications that americans are responsible for meddling inside ukraine. i have to say that our only interest is for ukraine to be able to make its own decisions. the last thing we want is disorder and chaos in the center of europe. so, for the german audience who

perhaps is tuning into russian tv, i would just advise to stay focused on the facts and what has happened on the ground. a few weeks ago, mr. putin was still denying the russian military was involved in crimea. a few weeks later, he acknowledged that they were his guys. they're just has not been the kind of honesty and credibility about the situation there and the willingness to engage seriously in resolving these diplomatic issues. our hope is that in fact mr. putin recognizes there is a way for him to have good relations with ukraine, good relations with europe, good relations with the united states. but it cannot be done through the kinds of intimidation and coercion we are seeing take place right now in eastern europe.

>> thank you, mr. president. earlier this week, critics have called an inhumane manner because of a botched execution. some countries have expressed their concern. what are your thoughts on this? does this raise more questions about u.s. justice? to chancellor merkel -- after edward snowden's revelation on surveillance of your own cell phone, you said friends should not spy on friends. stepsu satisfied by the taken by the u.s.?

is this now healthy with a healthy alliance? has the personal trust been rebuilt? could you elaborate on this agreement? thank you. >> what happened in oklahoma is deeply troubling. the individual who was subject to the death penalty had committed heinous and terrible crimes. i have said in the past that there are certain circumstances in which a crime is so terrible that the application of the death penalty may be appropriate. mass killings, the killings of children. but i have also said that in the application of the death penalty in this country, we have seen significant problems. there's racial bias, uneven application of the death

penalty, situations in which there were individuals on death row who later on were discovered to have been innocent because of exculpatory evidence. all of these to raise significant questions about how the death penalty is being applied. the situation in oklahoma i think highlights some of the significant problem's there. i will be discussing with eric holder and others to give me an analysis of what steps have been taken not just in this particular instance but more broadly in this area. i think we have to, as a society, ask ourselves some difficult and profound questions

around these issues. if you don't mind, i will also go ahead and maybe say something about nsa just because i know is of great interest in the german press as well. germany is one of our closest allies and one of our closest friends. that is true across the spectrum of issues, security, intelligence, economic, diplomatic and angela merkel is one of my closest friends on the world stage and somebody whose partnership i deeply value. and so it has pained me to see the degree to which the snowden disclosures have created strains on the relationship. more broadly, i have also been convinced for a very long time that it is important for our legal structure and our policy structure to catch up with rapidly advancing technologies.

as a consequence, through a series of steps, what we have tried to do is reform what we do and have taken these issues very seriously. domestically, we have tried to provide additional assurances to the american people that their privacy is protected. what i have also done is taken the unprecedented step of ordering our intelligence community to take the privacy interests of non-u.s. persons into account in everything they do. it is something that has not been done before and most other countries do not do this. i have said that the privacy interests of non-u.s. citizens are deeply relevant and have to be taken into account and we have to have policies and procedures to protect them, not

just u.s. persons. we are in the process of implementing a whole series of those steps. we have shared with the germans the things we are doing. i will repeat what i have said before that ordinary germans are not subject to continual surveillance and are not subject to a whole range of bulk data-gathering. i know the perception among the public sometimes is that the united states has capacity similar to what you see on movies and on television. the truth of the matter is our focus is principally and primarily on how we make sure terrorists, those who want to proliferate weapons, transnational criminals are not able to engage in the act activities they are engaged

in. in that, we can only be successful partnering with friends like germany. we will not succeed if we are doing that on our own. what i have pledged to chancellor merkel has been, in addition to the reforms we have already taken, in addition to saying we are going to apply privacy standards to how we deal with non-u.s. persons as well as u.s. persons, in addition to the work we are doing to constrain the potential use of bulk data -- we are committed to a u.s.-german cyber dialogue to close further the gaps that may exist in terms of how we operate and how german intelligence operates to make sure there is transparency and clarity about what we are doing and what our goals and intentions are. these are complicated issues and we are not perfectly aligned yet but we share the same values and

we share the same concerns. this is something that is deeply important to me. i am absolutely committed by the time i leave this office, we will have a stronger legal footing and international framework for how we are doing business in the intelligence sphere. i will say that i don't think there is an inevitable contradiction between our security and safety in our privacy. the one thing i have tried to share with chancellor merkel is the united states historically has been concerned about privacy. it is embedded in our constitution and as the world's oldest continuous constitutional democracy, i think we know a little about trying to protect people's privacy.

we have a technology that is moving rapidly and we have a very challenging world we have to deal with and would got to adjust our legal framework. she should not doubt and the german people should not doubt how seriously we take these issues. i believe we will be able to get them resolved to the satisfaction not just of our two countries but to people around the world. >> under the present conditions, we have possibilities as regards differences of opinion to overcome those differences in the medium term and in the long-term. one possibility is to enter into cyber data which is important which gives us a form to have longer discussions as to where we stand individually and what the technical possibilities and

ramifications of -- set the logical events as our. secondly, there are two strands of the european union -- there is the safe harbor agreement and the data protection and privacy accord. in the course of the negotiations, it works out fairly what differences of opinion there are and what different perspectives there are. i think it's of prime importance for us to bring these new decisions forward as a process and bring it to a successful conclusion. something else comes into play -- i heard this this morning when i had a breakfast meeting with people who are closely in contact with the parliament. they suggested that our parliament should have closer contact on this and that is important not only for the governments but also for the broader public. these could be three possibilities as to how to address this and understand each other's motivations better. >> is it possible to agree on a no spy agreement?

what kind of assurances could you give chancellor merkel with regard not only to ordinary citizens but to government members, some of them sitting here, that they are not under u.s. surveillance anymore? >> when the french president was here a few weeks ago, after his talk with president obama, he said trust as regards the nsa has been rebuilt. can you say the same thing? >> it's not quite accurate to say that the u.s. government offered a no spy agreement and then withdrew it. what is accurate to say is that we do not have a blanket no sp[y spy agreement with

any of our closest partners. what we do have are a series of partnerships and procedures and processes that are built up between the various intelligence agencies. what we are doing with the germans as we are doing with the french and we do with the british or the canadians or anybody is to work through what exactly the rules are governing the relationship between each country. we want to make sure there are no misunderstandings. i think we have gone a long way in closing some of the gaps. as chancellor merkel said, there's still some gaps that need to be worked through. i think what we can be confident about is that the basic approach that we take with germany is similar to the approach we take with all of our allies and all of our friends.

it is that during the course of the last several years as technology advances, i think there was a danger in which traditional expectations tipped over because of new technologies and what we have tried to do is make sure our policies reflect increased capabilities and as a consequence, increased dangers of intrusion on privacy. let me put it this way -- our interest in working effectively with the germans and making sure that german governments as well as the german people feel confident about what we do is as important to us as any other country. germany is at the top of our list in terms of friends and allies and colleagues. we are not holding back from doing something with germany we somehow do with somebody else.

>> i think the whole debate is that the situation is such that we have a few difficulties yet to overcome. this is why there is going to be a dialogue between our two countries. this is also why there needs to be and will have to be more than just business as usual. looking at this and the german parliament but also among members of the german government and also in the german public, we need to do that. it's good we have taken these first steps and what is still dividing us like issues of proportionality and the like will be addressed. we will work on this and it will be on the agenda for the next few weeks to come. >> thank you very much, everybody. [captions copyright national cable satellite corp. 2014] [captioning performed by national captioning institute]

>> the biggest challenge in the house where we are redistricting, that is where it occurs. the biggest challenge that a republican is going to phase in a primary is somebody more conservative than he or she is. on most every district, that is the case. that is what they are worried about. they are worried about being challenge from the right. mean, i think we have gotten of the system that we designed. created --when we i'm not even sure that people who created the district realized it's was how prof dutch profound the implications would be.

-- how profound the implications would be. democrats have been in on this, too. in some states, african-americans who want to ensure they have african-american districts. large percentage of african-american voters so they can be sure they have representation in congress. from the anti-defamation league, changing demographics and the republican party. saturday morning just after 11:00 eastern. later on c-span, the white house correspondents dinner. joel mchalebama and headline the event. that is live at 6:00. tv, former on book gang member and activist and political candidate, luis rodriguez will take your calls and comments on c-span two.

on history tv, a look at hawaii and the sugar industry will stop sunday night at 9:35 p.m. >> the white house correspondents dinner coming up tomorrow night and our coverage on c-span starting at 6:00 eastern. tonight, at one of the pre-parties. more than one dozen events associated with the dinner is being held in washington. one of them at the canadian embassy. ago is from a short time this evening. some of the arrives at the party. this is a republican senator roy blunt. the hill is hosting this invitational only event. some of the arrivals of the celebrities, politicians, and journalists from earlier.

again, the white house correspondents dinner is tomorrow. coverage is starting at 6:00 p.m. eastern with the red carpet arrivals. president obama is a featured speaker. still to come tonight on c-span, the u.n. security council hold a meeting in the recent violence in that country. the german chancellor discusses the future of u.s. relations with her country. later, another chance to see the news conference between president obama and the german chancellor at the white house. earlier today, the security council held a meeting all russia's intervention in ukraine and the recent violence there. we heard remarks from samantha power buzz began with comments from russian ambassador. this portion is about 1.5 hours.

having to do with the operations of the terrorists and right sector as well as other national organizations against their own people in the ukraine by the government. ukrainian forces are using tanks and other heavy artillery and military helicopters striking protesters and entrenching spiders. there's information of those wounded and killed. misadventures must be stopped. the catastrophic cannot be avoided. punitive measures against his own people and they are witness to the inability or lack of desire to carry out its obligations under the geneva

declaration for a swift halt of all violent and launching a broad, national dialogue with regis and political forces. if anyone is doubting, now today it is definitely clear that the begineclarations need to nationwide dialogue to the far-reaching crisis. we know that these declarations -- the regime is violating and now it is violating the require a mostt urgent step to halt all violence. at a time or russia's taking efforts to de-escalate the crisis. request of our partners -- issue ofions,

the military special with a number of european countries. the cap regime with western andsors started force annihilating any hope in the geneva agreement particular concerns of information that during the punitive operations of the ukrainian armed forces and the nationalist group there was english on the radio waves. foreigners onng the inadmissibility of outside interference. it is time for western colleagues to think twice and reason with those that stop toying with the destiny of the ukrainian people.

how else would we interpret another example of double standards used by the u.s.? washington may times attempted to tell russia where and how military troops should write. the white house was insulted by our appeal to the government to withdraw from eastern ukraine. washington has always requested from the genuinely elected in a coverage. but it is very strange logic used against civilians. and by a government that has no legitimacy. the representative of that you

did not go much further than the american colleagues. talking about the state's monopoly over the use of force. this statement can only be called provocation. it seems that the high representative not only did not participate, but was supporting those that perpetrated the coup d'état. the u.s. and the eu, their great responsibility is strong in the past. the categorical refusal of washington is totally non-fortuitous. running counter to the geneva declaration of 17 april. it is a continuation of dialogue. what could be a more striking example of the use of force?

and the signers of the geneva declaration, to not commit a fatal error and take a look at possible consequences of their actions. and stop the district of policy with respect to the ukraine. and basically halt alternative operations and ensure full freedom. this would be a genuine process if there is a need for a swift organization of authentic political dialogue. to draw mutually agreed up on agreements, pretending to draw reforms in a small circle with the government of winners.

for who gave the criminal order to unleash bloodshed will bear full responsibility. >> i thank the representative of the russian federation, i give the floor to the representative of france. >> think you, mr. president. i would like to pay tribute to the presidency of the security council for last month and to our colleague in nigeria and her entire team. here we are once again, grappling with the ukrainian crisis. every time this council is divided, this unfortunate country is steeped in anarchy. the east of the ukraine, roofs -- groups are aggressively

taking over cities. it's not really a crowd that supports this effort but just a few hundred demonstrators. heavy weaponry which excludes the possibility of any sympathetic members of the crowd, russian officers on local television, the taking of hostages. all of whom are being held and allegations have increasingly been proven of forced disappearances. these thugs have refused to implement that agreement which was supposed to be the restoration of the ukrainian state on its own territory. and what is ukraine doing? after having shown great restraint that no other state would've been able to show, in the face of organized attacks, it was supported and justified by a neighboring country and decided to use its army and police against the armed groups which are establishing security

at the expense of the people who do not support them. these armed groups are not spontaneous local groups, but actually capable of shooting down a helicopter. this is equipment one normally doesn't find on the markets. what right do we have to meddle in the internal affairs of the state that is trying to restore its best merged suffering? we can, at the very least, recall the need for acting with restraint. but nothing is proving that it's not doing so. to go even further would be a violation. and i know we are not there anymore. having trampled on the principle of states, we might do the same with the principle of internal affairs.

it is only difficult to take the first step. russia is announcing one principle after another which is the very foundation of international life. trying to point the finger at the other and in folks the 21st of february which was discovered too late. and the agreement to geneva which it consented but made no effort. and finally, accusations that would be comical according to the english speakers among the ranks of the ukrainians. and finally, the european union's would be responsible according to these allegations.

russia has opened a pandora's box and allowed out the demon of nationalism. it has released bands of thugs and offers key of a difficult choice between partitions and we are discovering this mixture might escape their control. nationalism might compel them to do what they don't want to do. that the thugs might behave like thugs and that the ukraine, given this impossible choice, might end up full doing. a pyromaniac fireman situation is what we have here. screaming in order to make us forget that this path was set long before. we are prepared and we have been repeating to find a way to de-escalate the situation. that russia would calm the armed groups and provide support for

the observers. and open negotiations to the ukraine that free elections be held under international oversight in order to provide irrefutable legitimacy to key of. between the ukraine and russia, compromise is possible. everyone knows what it stake. and the europeans first concerned by this crisis are also prepared. constitutional principles that will respect the sovereignty of the ukraine is still conceivable. but to that end, what first happened is a stop from a bad spy novel. the ministry of foreign affairs, we don't need an amateur james bond drinking vodka nor diplomats.

we need to come back to the principles that are the foundations of international life. >> i think the representative of france and give the floor to the representative of the united kingdom. >> i congratulate the republic for assuming the president is here on the security council in the month of may. esther president, thank you for convening this meeting. the russian federation has described events as a punitive military operation against peaceful activists. this is yet again a gross distortion of the facts. the ukrainian government has the

right and the responsibility to uphold the rule of law and protect its citizens in its own territory. it should do so in a proportionate and measured way. the actions undertaken this morning by ukrainian security forces in and around appear to have been just that. in an effort to relieve the city from armed groups that have been terrorizing the local population. we urge them to continue to take every effort to ensure that the risks to civilians are minimized. let's be absolutely clear. there is no council sitting around this table that would allow its towns to be overrun by armed militants. none of us would advocate responsibility for the protection of citizens on her own territory that are being

intimidated and brutalized by heavily armed groups backed by a neighboring country. proportionate is not the same as passive. the scale of russian hypocrisy is breathtaking. they support and arms the most oppressive regimes in the world, notably syria, a regime that brutally represses without any sense of restraint or concern for the protection of civilians. the indignation of a ukraine's proportionate and measured actions and ventas no one. russian claims that these are peaceful activists and are simply not credible. peaceful activists do not have the means or capabilities to shoot down three ukrainian military helicopters reportedly using man pads. the use of such sophisticated weaponry against ukrainian forces reaffirms our assessment that the armed groups in eastern ukraine include professionals funded, equipped, and directed by russia. mr. president, the situation in the eastern ukraine has

continued to deteriorate. our groups stormed the prosecutor's office -- office, increasing the number of government buildings occupied since the 17 april geneva agreement. we remain gravely concerned by the kidnap and continued detention of the vienna document inspectors and call on russia to condemn this criminal act and use its influence over those holding these inspectors to bring about their immediate, safe, and unconditional release. we are deeply disturbed by reports of journalists reporting from east ukraine. this council discussed the journalists in an open debate last year. one of the care -- clearest conclusions was that the importance of safeguarding free media so that facts and truth can be told. instead, what we're seeing is disinformation and propaganda. all members of this council emphasized the importance of the

agreement and its implementation. abiding by that agreement remains the best way to de-escalate volatile and dangerous situations in eastern ukraine. it is regrettable that russia's presidential press secretary said this morning that russia did not think it any longer possible to implement the 17 april agreement. we urge russia to step back, to insist from the inflammatory propaganda and commit de-escalating a perilous situation. we urge russia to throw its full weight behind the 17 april agreement and rain in the militants armed groups which it supports and which are responsible for the current crisis.

thank you. >> i think the representative of the united kingdom for his statements. i now give the floor to the representative of the united states. >> thank you, mr. president. this council has met on more than one dozen occasions regarding the ukraine. we have urged respect for ukraine's territorial integrity, adherence to international law, and steps to reduce tensions and de-escalate the crisis. we met to discuss the next usable failure to fulfill its obligations. russia is pushing to monumental falsehoods right now. the first falsehood is that the ukrainians are carrying out a large-scale uncontrolled violent attack on unarmed civilians. this is false. ukrainian government is carrying out a targeted effort to -- paramilitary violence in an effort to deliver security for

the ukrainian citizens. there is horrible violence in the eastern ukraine and that violence is coming as it has been for weeks now. the second monumental falsehood is that the russian federation is deeply concerned by the insecurity in the east. they are severely and deeply concerned. despite the rhetoric, russia can't be because russia is causing the instability. the express concern is cynical and disingenuous and meant only to distract us from the realities playing out before our eyes. i want to focus on one main point. from the outset, the government of the ukraine -- this policy restraint continued after russia subverted crimea, orchestrated and undemocratic separatist

vote, invaded crimea and announced to the world it had annexed crimea. while lying about intentions and its presence in crimea every step of the way. as far as the operatives have moved to the homeland. >> day after day, it has shown remarkable almost unimaginable restraint. it has done is this council has asked. it has refrained from military responses to aggression even as they announced it. and yet, in return for the reasonableness, russia has to stabilize, threaten, and

terrorize. the same scenario that played itself out as been repeating itself in parts of eastern ukraine. the same sudden appearance of unfamiliar men and new armaments. and the same denials of russian involvement. the same cries of outrage. the ukrainian people and government have embarked on an effort to reclaim one city in the eastern part of their country. it is what any one of our countries would've done in the face of this threat. imagine, for a moment, if 26,000 square kilometers of russian territory were seized by another country.

would moscow show restraint week after week. how would president clinton responded parts of this country were seized to request to remove his army from those parts of the country. there is some irony in russian demand given the manner in which it would deal with separatism within its borders. it has been 63 days since russia began its campaign to annex crimea. the ukrainian government has chosen peace day after day. russia, day after day, has chosen to pursue more territory. consider the following facts. it stopped almost all train movements. that is an illegal act. it is an illegal act.

for russian activists beat up to journalists near the administration building. we can go on and on about the illegal acts. 32 buildings are under occupation. we have seen dozens of officials legally detained. and the group of eight monitors objected in direct defiance. alongside all this action, we have heard the russian federation building its case for intervention. we were not even part in the ukraine in the good old days.

invoking article 51 and self-defense as activated during the russian takeover. in the context of the crisis in eastern ukraine, it has the right of self-defense, ukraine. the intervention is a clear violation of international law. peacekeeping as a cover for him lawful military intervention. there is no evidence that the ukrainian government has targeted officials or threatened russia in any way. in stark contrast to the actions to destabilize ukraine. it should come to the un security council and cq n peacekeepers. the right to not being threatened, their ability to use language and have it recognized by the government is not being

threatened. it is their methods that have been intentionally provocative and threatening. they are not pressing their case peacefully. they use clubs and knives. these are armed operatives. since the beginning of this crisis, the ukrainian government has acted in good faith and with admirable restraint. the area around city hall is clear of barricades and protesters. ukraine voluntarily suspended its counterterrorism initiative, choosing to de-escalate for its

own people. even today, as it tries to lawfully restore order, ukrainian security forces are operating in a cautious and restrained manner. ukraine has cooperated fully with the special monitoring mission and allowed observers to operate in regions to which moscow had voiced concerns are guarding the treatment of ethnic russians. >> obloquy committing his government to far-reaching constitutional reforms and will strengthen the power of the regions. they have appealed personally to russian speaking ukrainians and to protect those who use it. he announced legislation to grant amnesty.

the fact that ukraine has taken steps to restore order is to be expected. it is justified and what each and every one of the states represented would do and would probably have done far earlier. the fact that russia has chosen to call an emergency session in protest is an indication that the authorities either underestimate the intelligence of the world community or they are trying to exactly replicate the charade they were responsible for in crimea. we are not fooled. just as allies engage in a dramatic and dangerous campaign in eastern ukraine, the russian government is spreading some of its -- over the course of this aggression, those entrusted with carrying out in the government and those reporting impartially on the facts have begun to slowly disappear. local council members and police and journalists are held by armed operatives. international observers are being held in a hostage. those that have an interest and a mandate are being silenced. that is being filled with relentless russian propaganda that they hope will justify whatever actions they decide to take.

today's russian foreign ministry, the ridiculous and false statements would not be so alarming if it did not suggest moscow was looking for something -- nothing short of a pretext to invade. it may even have the power to abuse its veto but it cannot veto the truth. if there is hope to de-escalate, russia must pull back its troops. it must work to really see international observers on behalf of moscow's agenda. in the face of annexation, this council implored the ukrainians to demonstrate restraint. we asked russia to stop invading its neighbor but it did not. i reiterate the support of my government for the principles of the u.n. charter. it will enable the people of ukraine to choose leaders freely and fairly. we continue to seek a peaceful democratic. we call on russia to cease provocative acts and instill commitments through which it has

walked away. >> we give it to the representative of luxembourg. >> thank you very much, mr. president. the situation in the east of ukraine is worsening. we are deeply concerned by the activities of pro-russian military separatist.

they seem to be aiming at destabilizing the country and tempering the holding of presidential elections. the sovereignty and territorial integrity, they have demonstrated restraint. in the military manage the occupation or annexation by russian federation. up until yesterday, the response of the ukrainian authorities regarding numerous cases of seizure of public buildings by armed militia, a growing number of attacks and violence against

those peacefully protesting for unity in ukraine and the east of the country are responsive to these acts. it has been absolutely moderate. we deeply regret that they can drain a protest in odessa. we reiterate our appeal for de-escalation. as well as restraint kit be demonstrated by all parties. the declaration adopted by the head of diplomacy. let us not see this declaration die but rather be born in loss of human life. it all parties had done everything necessary to implement. we are together today at a time

when we must understand the monitors from the united nations and the osce to establish facts as well as propaganda. observing in a neutral manner and reporting on facts is a way to create conditions conducive to an invasion. the special monitoring mission should play a full role on plans for de-escalation measures. the security of international monitors deployed should begin indeed by all parties. -- should be guaranteed by all parties. the hostage taking of a team of military monitors, we ready or a -- we reiterate to ensure that the monitors are free. these monitors being held for a

week now as well as the ukrainian staff accompanying them. luxembourg believes it is possible to find a peaceful solution to the crisis. there is no substitute for substantive dialogue. for a diplomatic way out. to ensure the dialogue takes place, we hope that the forthcoming visit in moscow and kiev will contribute to this. >> i think the representative of luxembourg for her statement and i now give the floor to the

representative of argentina. >> madam president, i would like to reiterate my delegation of argentina's confidence in your leadership during this month of your presidency and i express our gratitude to the presidency of nigeria for last month's efforts. i like to thank the secretary general for his briefing on the situation in the ukraine and recent events. to say we are meeting a second time in a week to discuss the alarming situation in the ukraine is a demonstration of the fact that this council has a responsibility to express itself.

to reiterate our views about what is happening with regard to the bitter confrontation due to the escalation of tensions. the news coming appears that daily confrontation and reality has a serious risk of a spiral of violence with serious consequences for ukraine, and the international community. argentina condemns violent acts reported in the eastern ukraine and which has left the loss of human life in its wake. obviously, the voices of members of this council have not been heard. calling on all parties to bring the situation under control and begin a constructive dialogue. the spirit of compromise has

unraveled very quickly and is imperative to find that spirit and find a diplomatic and political solution. it should be clear to all parties that a peaceful way out is not possible in this difficult situation. all parties should respect international humanitarian law and human rights. strictly upholding international law. the only solution in argentina is desirable and necessary, to find a solution to inclusive dialogue that involves all parties. however, to begin this process of dialogue and work towards a peaceful reaction is key to establishing conditions conducive to the negotiations

and build trust among different communities and provide security for all people in the ukraine his main concern is that their needs are met. respecting ukraine's right to conduct internal affairs. we have been a witness to the rhetoric of confrontation. speeches of hate, hostility, and violence. and reactions that only lead to escalating tensions. all of this to bring the parties to the table for constructive dialogue. it is key and important that all actors find a way for constructive diplomacy and stop confrontational rhetoric or the

use on the parties that there can be an effective implementation. it is necessary to find a way out of the crisis. their lives are in danger. it is the principal of territorial integrity. this security council has met on numerous occasions in order to discuss the situation. we have not shown the ability to play a constructive role. it has no effect because they are not consistent and have not been able to send a single message or have any unified reaction.

but it is not too late. the same terms in the same spirit -- we must assume responsibility to maintain peace and international security. >> i give the floor to the representative of australia. >> when we met on 29 april on the situation in the ukraine, we urged russia to abide by the commitments it made on 17 april including to refrain from violence, intimidation, and provocative actions. since then, the situation has

further deteriorated severely. this plan and coordinate a destabilization could not happen without external support. the shooting down of ukrainian helicopters today by surface-to-air missiles is dramatic further evidence of that. we are witnessing well armed and well-trained personnel using military weapons that are intent on armed provocation. we have seen further takeover by our militia groups right across eastern ukraine. orchestrated violence is today spread to odessa. there are kidnappings and torture. they are still being held hostage a week later. this is an affront to the entire international community and must

be released immediately. these actions are clearly not a legitimate protest or in attempts to protect russian speakers from alleged or serious threats. they are calculated, cynical, and highly provocative act shims designed to undermine the ukrainian state of authority to intimidate and destabilize. they make a mockery of what russia has committed to in the geneva agreement. ukraine itself is working to implement commitments and submitted to parliament, amnesty and protest. constitutional reform aimed at decentralizing power. >> in response to the extreme provocation the ukraine is

facing, authorities have the right and responsibility to seek to reinstate state authority and restore public order overall. authorities have giving clear messages. administrative buildings and municipal infrastructure. taking measures to try to ensure security and protect its own citizens and its own territory. what is destructive? russia's reckless interference. destructive of the geneva agreement. destructive of russia's own standing and credibility. to ensure militia groups in the armed rebellion in plymouth the geneva agreement.

and they claim they have no further territorial ambitions on the ukraine. >> i think the representative of australia. i give the floor to the representative of china. >> i express appreciation for the master of nigeria for their outstanding -- this is a matter

of concern to china. and avoid further deterioration of the situation. the solution is the only way out of the crisis in the ukraine. they need to take into consideration that both history and contemporary situations will accommodate the aspirations of various regions and ethnic groups within the ukraine as well as both parties. for some time, they have worked actively to facilitate negotiations.

the house in geneva around the russian federation have agreed on measures. forcibly promoting the settlement. and realizes it is possible. we will continue to support international offices.

>> i think the representative of china for the statement and now give the floor to the representative. >> thank you, madam president. we wish to you and the entire team every success in your endeavor. i would also like to pay tribute for their excellent stewardship. i would also like to thank mr.

phelps for his briefing. chad notes with alarm that the situation continues to deteriorate both politically and in terms of security in the east. we contribute -- to open the way to dialogue. they led to a number of deaths and significant material damage. given this serious situation, chad would reiterate its call for immediate halt to combat. we call for nonviolence by

government forces and separatists. observers are still being held. we remain convinced that the solution to the ukrainian situation can be political. it must be sought in the respective territory and sovereignty and unity of ukraine. in keeping with the united nations charter. chad would also reiterate its call for the situation to be

de-escalated. chad would invite countries having an influence on the parties present to use all means possible in order to establish direct dialogue. with this in mind, we encourage the international community and the secretary-general of the united nations to step up their efforts to bring out -- between the parties to find a peaceful solution to the ukrainian crisis. thank you. >> i think the representative of chad for his statement and i give the floor to the representative of lithuania. >> i thank you, madam president.

let me start by thanking the delegation. we wish you the best success during your tenure. i would also like to express my delegations appreciation and gratitude to nigeria for the council during the month of april. i also want to thank the brief but troubling information. i would like to go to a question that has already been raised. what would your country do if group of people in your towns decided to break away and declare themselves above your country's laws and constitutions? attack local government, administration buildings, take hostages, and practice killing. if such groups were sponsored by countries abroad and with a

massive campaign of propaganda and this -- demonizing the people, would you sit and wait for your country to be decimated? or would you act in your country's interests protecting the sovereignty, unity, and integrity. ukraine has taken blade and highly cautious actions. like any other state represented in this hall, it has the right to protect its sovereignty and territory and integrity by all means necessary. as far as punitive actions go, let's be frank. at least 33 people killed and wounded. many more wounded. the craft in an elementary school killed at least 20 other

people including 17 children. this punitive act, by countless similar acts in the course of more than three years of ongoing war in that country. helicopters were down in the mobile air defense system. another army helicopter was damaged. they used a portable air defense systems. they can shoot down helicopters or perhaps planes of some kind in the future. armed with heavy weapons and automatic weapons, they do not kidnap international observers. today, provocations have been carried them out -- carried out.

they are there now. in odessa, had the separatists respected and carried out geneva -- had they not taken up arms against their own state, none of this would be happening. this would not be happening if russia, the only power with real influence, denounce these acts of aggression and accept a peaceful path of talks with the central government. instead, russia put the blame on ukraine, the only site taking some steps at gunpoint to implement the geneva statement. those that had been referred to a couple days ago, amnesty law and decentralization. dan asked the government will submit to the parliament on referendum and destabilization

that will be held together with presidential elections. they would grant additional guarantees to russian speaking populations as well as members of ethnic minorities. they don't know that it exists. they have drowned the voice of key of -- kiev. a simply won't be allowed to know that alternatives exist on the path of war. and proceed with ukraine's dismemberment under the forced referendum. we have to watch very carefully when the self proclaimed people have announced the referendum. i would not be surprised. my government discusses the attempts to invalidate

intentions and the threat to use armed forces. last time, a couple of days ago, we called for support of the secretary-general's initiatives and called for setting up international mediation. we welcome the fact that they will be going to the region and we fully stand behind these efforts to de-escalate the situation. we also think like luxembourg has said. it must be allowed to work to

understand what is happening there and help de-escalate the situation without going. they must prevent this crisis from turning into a real bloodbath. we have seen how horrifying and inhuman -- we have seen that in the south african republic and elsewhere. in the middle of europe, two slavic orthodox nations may start killing each other. they are both orchestrated by the kremlin. we should go back to that.

we have to let it work. it is in the interest of all of us. >> i think the representative of lithuania for her statement and they give the floor to the representative of nigeria. >> madam president, i want to thank you for accepting to shepherd this council in the month of may. i delegation wishes -- wishes you green pastures. i thank you for the update. the delicate nature of the conversation, the generation of the crisis into full-blown military confrontation. this is even more pertinent

today as developments on the ground have created another dimension. the two ukrainian military helicopters, there is the control center by unidentified armed groups. taking control of public establishments by armed groups have led to the response by the government of the ukraine. we acknowledge the responsibility to maintain rule of law. it is also possible to restore public order in a measured manner to avoid a degeneration

into a full-blown conflict. i call on all parties to de-escalate tensions. we need to reiterate our position that the outcome of our meeting between ukraine, the russian federation, the e.u., and the united states provides the path for the resolution of this conflict. there are prerequisites, however, for this. all sides must refrain from violence, intimidation, and provocative action. all armed groups must disarm. the doors to a diplomatic solution doors must remain open, and all parties must remain engaged and committed to find a peaceful solution that takes into consideration the interests

of the people of ukraine. we would like to see ukraine return to peace, security, and stability, and its independence respected in accordance with the charter of the united nations. the alternative will be falling dominoes, not only in that region, but in every other region in the world. [indiscernible] this for us is simply -- it is a collective responsibility to prevent the domino theory from being replayed in our time.

i thank you. >> i thank the representative from nigeria for her statement. i now recognize the representative from jordan. >> thank you, madam president. we would also like to congratulate you on taking up the presidency this month. we thank the delegation of nigeria for everything done last month. we thank the undersecretary general for political affairs for his briefing. jordan would like to share its deep concern regarding the most recent developments in the east of ukraine, in addition into the spillover violence in other cities in the country, including

odessa. we call on all parties to exercise restraint to bring about a return of calm. de-escalation and fully cooperate with monitors. we reiterate our appeal for the freeing of all hostages, including osce monitors. what we have in the east of ukraine is not a civil war, but rather -- the action of the rebels are in violation of the law, and this includes the continuing occupation of seized public and government buildings, the use of

force, intimidation of civilians, and threats to their life and security. as was said, the continuation of these actions running counter to the letter and spirit of the geneva agreement signed in april. we would urge ukraine to take effect it measures to halt -- in the eastern part of the country and retain its unity and sovereignty in the security of civilians, uphold constitutional and legal order. at the same time, we would call

upon the ukrainian government to work towards a peaceful solution. as well as to work within international criteria to deal with the issue. it is important to uphold relative human rights principles as well as to spare no effort in immediately engaging in dialogue with stakeholders. let us not lose the opportunity brought about by the geneva agreement. this agreement is a safeguard for calm in the east of the country and the territorial unity of ukraine. we would appeal to stakeholders to implement the agreement and

to bring pressure to bear on the rebels to end the crisis. rebels and all active stakeholders in ukraine should refrain from racist speech or hate speech. the need to guarantee to a return to stability in the country, we would call on all players to help ukrainian government in these endeavors, to guarantee this success on the political transitional process. thus, coming to comprehensive and direct dialogue with all linguistic groups. finally, we would underscore the importance of respecting the legitimate aspirations of ukrainian people, to ensure

presidential elections are held within the set time frame in may, 2014, in line with these aspirations and ensure that an acceptable future is set forth for the ukrainian people with comprehensive and effective dialogue. thank you very much. >> i think the representative of jordan for his statement to resign now give the floor to the representative of chile. >> mr. president, we would like to congratulate you on your suction of the presidency of this council, and we would like to reiterate our commitment to

ongoing support in your stewardship. we would also like to thank nigeria for their capable presidency during the month of april. we value the briefing by undersecretary general mr. feltman. since the last time when the council met to discuss the situation in ukraine, just three days ago, the crisis escalated and once again we see acts of violence involving separatist groups. this crisis is very quickly entering a dangerous and unpredictable phase.

we regret and would like to express our deep-seated concerns in the recent events. this council must contribute to a maximum restraint and moderation by the parties, and we reiterate our call on parties to find a peaceful settlement for the crisis through inclusive political dialogue. it is also extremely important that parties focus on a peaceful way out of this crisis through direct dialogue, that they refrain from -- and they support international mediation efforts in keeping with the resolutions of the general assembly. in this context, we reiterate our condemnation of the kidnapping of osce observers, and we reiterate our call for them to be immediately and without conditions released. mr. president, now more than

ever, it is vital to work in the spirit of compromise as was seen in the geneva talks on the 17th of april, which led to the joint declaration of the ministers of foreign affairs. the agreement lays out specific steps in order to reduce tensions and restore security for all, such as refraining from the use of violence. disarmament of armed groups, and returning illegally occupied buildings. we reiterate the need for respect, and territorial integrity of ukraine. he would also add to that responsibility incumbent on united nations members to restrain the use of force

against territorial integrity or -- but it is necessary to strengthen the possibilities for a diplomatic solution to be found. we support the efforts of the secretary-general of the united nations. we welcome the visit of secretary general feldman to russia. we believe it is time that it is a priority. it is the priority and we should avoid any further escalation of the prices by beginning dialogue with a view to contributing to peace andation of stability so that the elections can take place on the 25th of may. >> i think the representative of